E3 2001: Square announces Disney RPG for PS2

Square announced Kingdom Hearts this morning, an RPG for the PlayStation 2 that is being co-developed by Square and Disney Interactive. The game will feature worlds and created by both teams--including worlds based on Tarzan, Aladdin, and Peter Pan--and will also feature new and old Disney characters.

The game will feature four new Disney characters, created by Tetsuya Nomura, who worked on Final Fantasy VII and VIII. The four characters will be named Sora, Riku, Kairi, and the Heartless. These characters will team up with existing Disney characters and embark on what Square is calling a "dark, magical adventure." Sora, Riku, and Kairi are friends who live on an island. A violent storm strikes the island and whisks the three friends away to three different worlds. Sora meets up with Court Wizard Donald and Captain Goofy, who are wandering the countryside near Disney Castle in search of the missing King Mickey. Their common search puts them up against the Heartless, a race of creatures seeking to enlist the help of Disney villains in their quest to steal the pure hearts and souls of others.

Square will release Kingdom Hearts this year in Japan, and the game will come to North America next fall.